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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23928337">Anagnorisis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/attaccabottoni/pseuds/attaccabottoni'>attaccabottoni</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Devil May Cry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:42:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,415</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23928337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/attaccabottoni/pseuds/attaccabottoni</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Nero was a little late to arrive and rescue V in Mission 15?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Anagnorisis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I’ve always wondered how Nero and V’s conversation could have happened differently. Also, the last time I played Bloody Palace as V, I died in Malphas’ level, so this is partly to make my loss meaningful, in advance of celebrating V’s birthday.</p><p>Taking a break from William Blake, V would later quote another British writer, taken from “Shadowlands”, William Nicholson’s screenplay.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“The Demon King has told me all about you. The walking sack of useless flesh has sprung my trap.”</p><p> </p><p>V stared into the blackness of every set of eyes Malphas has, fighting not to tremble as he counted down the time before Griffon and Shadow emerged from their cores. The smiles on every set of lips she has widened, as if savoring his fear.</p><p> </p><p>“That Vergil,” she purred. “What a delightfully clever creature he was. Too bad he had nothing to protect his mind from becoming a paltry, twisted, shattered thing.”</p><p> </p><p>The sorceress extended one of her hands, and V had to leap away and avoid the spikes that emerged from the ground with what little agility his body still has.</p><p> </p><p>“You were hiding in the crevices of his mind before you were born, weren’t you? You couldn’t crawl away and die like the foolish human you are. You had to get in his way.”</p><p> </p><p>Sensing multiple portals being conjured in consecutive turns, he flipped backwards while raising the hand holding his cane, deflecting the demonic bird’s incoming long range attacks.</p><p> </p><p>“To get rid of his nightmares, he had to give them to someone else. Make you and the rest of humanity feel his pain. Ah, such unparalleled selfishness and cruelty! Only he is truly worthy to rule both the Underworld and the human world.”</p><p> </p><p>While Malphas disappeared into a portal, V ran quickly as he could back to Griffon and Shadow‘s cores to speed up their recovery from being stalemated.</p><p> </p><p>Malphas’ voice continued to echo in chamber, disorienting enough to make tracking where the next attack would come from be difficult. “Do your compatriots know just what you carry? How would his brother feel, once he finds out you are born from Vergil’s flesh, and those demons you bear are Vergil’s torments given life? I can almost taste how delicious it must be, to feed on his grief.”</p><p> </p><p>Lungs burning from his efforts, and leaning on his cane for support, he grit his teeth as the pain from the glancing blows multiplied on his decaying body.</p><p> </p><p>“Doesn’t it make you no different from the self-made monster at the bottom of the Qliphoth?”</p><p> </p><p>If he had the breath to waste, he would have laughed as a taunt. He wasn’t feeling trapped in here with Malphas at all. It was Malphas who didn’t know just who she was trapped with, and V felt obliged to show her who he really was.</p><p> </p><p>In precisely that moment, he summoned Nightmare, Shadow and Griffon together.</p><p> </p><p>Cane wobbling with his unsteady grip, he slowly got up. “I hate to disappoint you, but do you truly think that anything you say could hurt me? This entire city wouldn’t have been made into an offering to the Qliphoth had I not been here. It may not be these hands, but I am the monster that is responsible for all this. I never claimed otherwise.”</p><p> </p><p>His weaving pace brought him to nearer to where his familiars wreaked havoc without a single pause. “Did you think that the Demon King, whose selfishness and cruelty you so greatly admire, has the monopoly on that which makes him worthy to rule? You forget he and I are born of the same flesh.”</p><p> </p><p>He stabbed the ground as it shook to the beat of his familiars’ symphony of roars. “My capacity may be more limited, and I have no desire to rule, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t be just as selfish and cruel. Underestimating humans is your mistake, and your own downfall.”</p><p> </p><p>“V!” Nero yelled as he barreled his way into the chamber.</p><p> </p><p>Looking straight into blue eyes burning with determination, V found a hidden reserve of energy, and without a single fumble, reached for and threw the Devil Breakers in his keeping. In a smooth movement that belied his usual frenetic energy, Nero had Punch Line caught and affixed before he streaked in Malphas’ direction.</p><p> </p><p>He watched the resulting explosion with satisfaction as his legs folded, unable to carry his weight, the impact sending him into a sitting position at least. His familiars returned the instant his remaining demonic energy petered out, and while he could feel the thrumming on his body where his contracts with them are located, V knew that he could summon them no longer.</p><p> </p><p>As Malphas’ dying screams echoed in the chamber, Nero already had Overture in place by the time he stepped in front of him. “V, you don't look so good.”</p><p> </p><p>If he weren’t at his limit, he would have smirked in amusement. “If you're going to insult me, there’s no need to hold yourself back.” His hand clenched tighter on his cane. “If I could trouble you a bit before I bid you one last farewell, I’m afraid standing is already beyond my power.”</p><p> </p><p>Nero did not even wait for V to make the formal request before grabbing him by the hand and hauling him up. “You know the way out this place?”</p><p> </p><p>V managed to loll his head tiredly in the direction of a dark side tunnel for Nero to start pulling them forward.</p><p> </p><p>They had been limping for a few minutes when Nero, in uncharacteristic quietude, asked, “Why do you push yourself too hard?”</p><p> </p><p>Despite the cracking of his lips, V let himself smile wryly. “I was discarded. So I have no other choice but to use everything I can to survive.”</p><p> </p><p>He felt Nero’s arm supporting his back tense up. “I was discarded, too. I know what it’s like to buy into the lie that needing others is a weakness.”</p><p> </p><p>V glanced at him sharply, but Nero’s gaze was fixed at the glinting of his Devil Breaker, which was holding onto the arm V had slung over his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“But strength is not just something you have in yourself. Strength is something others can also give to you, if you let them.”</p><p> </p><p>V’s eyes widened. Nero turned his head to grin at him as he flexed the fingers of his mechanical arm without letting go of V’s wrist. “Thanks to you and Nico, I didn’t even have to break a sweat with that demon back there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nico told me to bring some with me, just in case.”</p><p> </p><p>“She would rather call it art, but if there’s anything I learned from Nico, it’s that power can have many forms, no matter if it started out as some messed up trash cobbled together.”</p><p> </p><p>V thought of his book, the only thing he could reach for the moment he was brought into being.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps Malphas was wrong. Perhaps he wasn’t some skittering pest in the dark corners of Vergil’s mind, only fit to be crushed under his boot while progressing into an enlightened absolute being. Perhaps he was an iota of Vergil’s personhood that he had quietly stored away while pretending it had nothing to do with him, only to be recovered after their brutal separation, like V did with his book.</p><p> </p><p>“Art does have power,” V murmured slowly.</p><p> </p><p>Nero nodded. “And your familiars, they help you too, don’t they?”</p><p> </p><p>It seemed that Nero, in the totality and integrity of his life, was wiser beyond his years. It brought to mind an inconsequential memory from Vergil’s youth, of once watching the deep and peaceful sea of Fortuna for some time, before turning away, convinced that such a restful sight had no use for him and his goal.</p><p> </p><p>V has no desire to turn away now.</p><p> </p><p>“Griffon once asked me whether I had some sort of sickness that will kill me if I relied on someone else.”</p><p> </p><p>“The chicken’s got a point. You’re not alone anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, you’re right. ‘We read to know we are not alone.’”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that from a poem?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just some wisdom I heard from somewhere.”</p><p> </p><p>As powerless as he was now, V knew pleading with Dante would have no effect, but doing so to Nero would. He had half-wished that Nero would refuse, feeling the familiar guilt from using Nero as a means to achieve his own ends. Vergil would probably laugh disgustedly at his self-contradiction and lack of conviction.</p><p> </p><p>But then, Vergil never inspired faith from other people. His familiars had faith in him because they have to in order to survive. Nero has faith in him, but it was out of Nero’s own goodness, helping him despite Nero’s own desire for vengeance.</p><p> </p><p>As he was almost half-carried by Nero, V felt drawn to return the same faith.</p><p> </p><p>“Nero… I will tell you… everything.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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